Epping Forest

Epping Forest's population grew in the 10 years leading up to the latest census. At the same time there were changes in religion, housing tenure and work life.

The population passed 120,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Epping Forest increased by 3.1%, from almost 121,000 to 125,000.

The addition of just under 3,800 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Epping Forest was home to, on average, 2.6 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was similar to the average across Eastof England

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Eastof England, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Epping Forest

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Epping Forest increased by three years, from 39 to 42 years.

This growing rural area had a higher average age than Eastof England and remained somewhat older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just over 3,300 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just over 3,000.

About 12% of people in Epping Forest are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Epping Forest by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Change in unpaid care

The percentage of Epping Forest residents that provided between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 1.0% to 1.2% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

The percentage who reported providing at least 50 hours of unpaid care each week remained close to 1.7%.

The proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 0.9% in 2001 to 1.2% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 1.1% to 1.4%.

The proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care in Epping Forest remained close to 1.2%

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Epping Forest by care, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Epping Forest

The percentage of Epping Forest residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 2.7% to 3.2% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

The percentage who reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities remained close to 7.5%, while the percentage of Epping Forest residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 90%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 2.7% in 2001 to 3.4% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across Eastof England

Percentage of usual residents that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in Eastof England and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Epping Forest

The number of people in Epping Forest that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 17,000 in 2001 to just over 28,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 14% to 23% of the local population.

The percentage increased by less than the average across Eastof England (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Epping Forest that described themselves as Christian decreased from just under 88,000 in 2001 to just over 77,000 in 2011 (from 72% to 62%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from just under 8,800 to just under 9,400 (from 7.2% to 7.5%).

Just under 4,000 people (3.1%) said they were Jewish, up from about 3,700 in 2001 (3.2%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Epping Forest increased by 8.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Epping Forest by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Epping Forest, but at a slower rate than across England.

In Epping Forest, the proportion of private renting increased from 6.9% in 2001 to 11% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion across England increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Across Eastof England, the share of privately rented homes increased from 8.6% to 15%.

The rate of social housing in Epping Forest fell from 16% to 15%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 75% to 72%.

Private renting in Epping Forest increased by 4.2 percentage points

Percentage of households in Epping Forest, Eastof England and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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